Foundation History

The Wonder Years (Ages 0-8)

The Good & the Beautiful Year 1 History Course (New for the Fall of 2016)Guided by the vision of Jenny Phillips, text from over 40 beautifully written history books from the late 1800s and early 1900s (modified to include modern discoveries) and over 30 hand-picked writers, educators, historians, illustrators, and editors contributed to The Good & the Beautiful history curriculum.

An Emphasis on God and CharacterThis course is designed to help raise a generation of youth who understand truth and connect history to God and high character. This course takes a general Protestant, Christian worldview, focusing on Christ-like character and basic Christian principles common to all Protestants. A free “LDS Insights” supplement download is available for those of the LDS faith (see course book).

Family StyleTeach children of all ages with a 60-minute lesson 2-3 times a week. Student Explorers go along with lessons and provides additional materials and assignments for older children.

An Emphasis on US History and Principles of Freedom All history courses (Years 1-4) cover ancient history through modern history, but each course stops in different places and time periods to explore in depth. Thus, children see the whole sweep of history and how it fits together during each course. Each of the four history courses places an emphasis on US history, the Founding Fathers, and principles of liberty.

Good & Beautiful Style LearningMany history courses today are composed of dry facts given from a secular humanistic viewpoint, stripped of meaning, faith, and beauty. The unique approach taken by The Good & the Beautiful history courses promotes truth, beauty, family interaction, high academics, and meaningful exploration.

No Preparation TimeJust open the course and follow the instructions each day, learning and exploring along with your child. Beyond gathering some supplies for optional activities and crafts ahead of time, no preparation time is needed.

If you are using the Well Educated Heart model for History, we encourage you to continue to focus on teaching methods that will educate the heart. A hundred years ago, educators rightly understood that hearts must be warmed before minds can be taught. The gift of story, art and music are the primary tools of a heart-based education. We encourage families to nurture the needs of very young children by focusing on family history and stories from the scriptures. In addition to learning history, children will come to understand they BELONG. They belong to a family on earth and to a family in heaven. When the sense of belonging is nurtured at a young age, children will be able to better connect to the world around them as they discover from history stories in later years.

Our Stories of Character and Faith Resource Guidewill guide families through a wide selection of stories that can be used to develop an understanding of moral values, faith, and history. Families are encouraged to have a morning story hour or devotional each day where children participate in music, art, poetry, and story that are connected to a monthly theme. Children are introduced to history with stories from scriptures and stories about national holidays. ​